Utility knife handles are devices devised to hold a razor blade and to allow a user to grasp the handle and cut an object, such as carpet, using the razor blade. In order to manufacture a utility knife handle that is successful in the market place, the handle should be both safe and easy to use. Since razor blades are inherently dangerous tools, the construction of a utility knife handle requires the integration of a number of safety features to insure the user of the utility knife handle is not injured by a razor blade held within the handle. The utility knife handle should also be configured to allow for the easy adjustment or removal of a blade, while not sacrificing the safety features of the handle.
Utility knife handles that lack sufficient safety features place the user at risk of serious injury. A utility knife having a blade not properly secured within the handle can lead to injury of the user if the blade becomes dislodged from the handle. Similarly, a utility knife handle having a feature wherein the position of the blade may be adjusted can lead to injury if the blade unexpectedly moves while in use. Utility knife handles equipped with a feature to store additional blades within the handle can be dangerous if the stored blades are insufficiently secured in a safe place.
A delicate balance should be drawn between constructing a utility knife handle having numerous safety features to allow safe operation thereof under any circumstance, and a utility knife handle that is easy to use and is not overburdened with safety features. Utility knife handles should not be configured such that the blades are difficult to adjust or remove when necessary. Additionally, utility knife handles should not allow blades stored therein to become dislodged during adjustment of the blade. Utility knife handles should not require the use of separate tools, such as a screwdriver, to adjust or remove the blades, which will thereby increase the speed and ease by which blades are adjusted or removed from the handle.
Consequently, there is a need for a utility knife constructed to allow the easy and safe adjustment or removal of a razor blade from the operating position and the easy and safe storage of extra razor blades.